LWLies Recommends | Little White Lies

LWLies Recommends

Two men walking together, one wearing a navy suit and the other in a yellow jacket and jeans.
Review

F1 review – speed is king, subtlety is yellow-flagged

by Adam Woodward

Brad Pitt is in scin­til­lat­ing form in this shame­less PR exer­cise, which also hap­pens to be one of the year’s most pure­ly enter­tain­ing cin­e­mat­ic experiences.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
A young blonde woman standing in dark water, holding a wooden pole as a weapon.
Review

Dangerous Animals review – why sharks? They’re cinematic!

by Anton Bitel

Preda­tors and prey share the same ter­rain in this psy­cho­log­i­cal­ly twist­ed shark thriller from genre film­mak­er Sean Byrne.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Black and white image of a person lying in a bed, surrounded by snow-covered furniture and decor.
Review

Bogancloch review – film and landscape are as one

by David Jenkins

The lure of the Scot­tish wilder­ness was too much to resist as Ben Rivers returns there for his lat­est feature.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Turquoise and white vintage convertible car at night, with two people sitting inside.
Review

Along Came Love review – an intimately epic love story

by Sophie Monks Kaufman

Katell Quillévéré’s poet­ic French peri­od dra­ma is pow­ered by an under­stat­ed chem­istry between Anaïs Demousti­er and Vin­cent Lacoste.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
A man in a suit and a woman in a nun's habit stand in front of a damaged trailer in a forest setting.
Review

The Phoenician Scheme review – an absolute gas

by David Jenkins

A charm­ing arms deal­er heads on the road to redemp­tion in this pris­tine shot of pure plea­sure from film­mak­er Wes Anderson.

5
Anticipation
5
Enjoyment
5
In Retrospect
A woman with blonde hair in a green dress appears shocked, with a surprised expression on her face.
Review

Final Destination: Bloodlines review – an absurd, grotesque film for our absurd, grotesque times

by Hannah Strong

Death comes a‑calling once more in this long-over­due sixth instal­ment into the most mor­bid hor­ror fran­chise around.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Dark, moody interior scene with bold, contrasting colours of green, red, and blue. Human figure sits hunched in the foreground, partially obscured by the cluttered environment.
Review

It’s Not Me review – an innovative homage to Carax’s main muse

by David Jenkins

Leos Carax delves through his own per­son­al archive in this glo­ri­ous essay film that’s in thrall to Jean-Luc Godard.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
A man with dark hair pointing a gun in a dimly lit, rainy setting.
Review

Cloud review – all-time bleakest episode of Only Fools and Horses

by Josh Slater-Williams

Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s lat­est treads sim­i­lar the­mat­ic ter­ri­to­ry to his pre­scient 2001 cyber­hor­ror, through the prism of an e‑commerce, vengeance-fuelled thriller.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
A person standing in a dimly lit room, wearing a blue robe and holding an object in their hands.
Review

April review – eerily elusive, superbly acted and crafted

by Rafa Sales Ross

Dea Kulumbegashvili’s stark Geor­gian dra­ma fol­lows an obste­tri­cian who moon­lights as an abor­tion­ist, as she is accused of inter­fer­ing with her patients.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Cluttered interior of a van, with a woman sitting on a couch and a man standing. Varied colours and shapes, with items scattered throughout the space.
Review

Caught by the Tides review – moving, stirring, brilliant

by Esther Rosenfield

Jia Zhangke’s first fea­ture in six years is a sweep­ing epic anchored by the cap­ti­vat­ing Zhao Tao, his muse and most fre­quent collaborator.

4
Anticipation
5
Enjoyment
5
In Retrospect
Two men in period attire - one in a blue cap, the other in a cowboy hat - stand next to a vintage car in a rural setting.
Review

Sinners review – links the past and present with music and blood

by Kambole Campbell

Final­ly free from the Mar­vel machine, Ryan Coogler deliv­ers the goods and then some with his music-pow­ered, genre-splic­ing latest.

3
Anticipation
5
Enjoyment
5
In Retrospect
Elderly woman tenderly caring for sleeping man, likely a relative, in a home setting.
Review

Misericordia review – Chabrol would have approved

by Thomas Dawson

Alain Guiraudie defies neat cat­e­gori­sa­tion with his shapeshift­ing eighth fea­ture about moral­i­ty, crime and queer desire.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect